A SENIOR citizen has revealed he could be in a financial loss after an HOA suddenly required all owners to dismantle their dog pens.
An anonymous homeowner claimed he managed to have a wire dog pen for 10 years, but now the new HOA president is threatening the elderly man to get rid of it.
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The owner revealed Palm Beach Post that at least nine of your neighbors have dog pens installed in their yards.
However, they claimed that after a new resident got a dog pen that could be seen from the front of his yard, the new HOA president began to fly into a rage.
The advice now comes after all owners say they need to remove dog pens or face a $1,000 fine.
The association earlier stated in its statement that “all fences, except those installed by the Developer, are prohibited”.
But the rule wasn’t enforced until a new HOA president took office.
This new change will not only affect the neighborhood, but also the dogs that live there.
“We are all elderly and most of us have disabilities that limit our ability to walk dogs,” they said.
“Even though dog pens have been removed, white fences and white lattice barriers are permitted.”
After seeking advice, the owner quickly discovered he had limited options to resolve the issue.
When contacting the publication it was revealed that the best option was to team up with neighbors to potentially hire a lawyer.
But if they decide not to, everyone will be forced to take down their pens or face the consequences.
‘MORE THAN ONE INCH’
Believe it or not, other homeowners are getting into costly disputes over their fences with their HOA.
Betty Hooker has been in a five-year legal battle with her HOA over the placement of her fence.
The board claimed that Hooker’s fence was on the community commons and forest conservation easement, which was behind his home.
“Exactly 8 inches per [the HOA President’s] measurement,” Hooker recalled to ABC News affiliate WMAR-TV.
What is an HOA?
One in five Americans lives in an area with a Home Owners Association – or HOA. But what exactly do they do?
- An HOA is a homeowners association – an organization that aims to maintain a clean, cohesive place for its residents to live.
- Entire neighborhoods, subdivisions, condominiums, single-family homes or townhouses within “a planned development” will often constitute an HOA.
- They also serve as a regulatory body for the tenants, who manage and finance the HOA through monthly fees.
- Its main goals are to keep the community functional and visually appealing and maintain property values.
- They focus primarily on a neighborhood’s common areas, like roads, parks, and pools — but they can also stipulate what residents can do with their property, like yards and sidewalks.
- These restrictions often impose uniformity on properties, for example, ensuring that most houses look the same and that all sidewalks are free of weeds.
- An HOA Rule Book of Covenants, Conditions, and Restrictions (CC&R) is distributed to all residents, and an elected volunteer board of directors enforces these regulations.
- Violating these rules can result in penalties such as fines and even litigation – as most HOAs are incorporated and subject to state law.
- HOAs are often the subject of controversy, with some members feeling that the rules are too punitive and restrictive, or that the leadership has too much power.
- But other HOAs like this give communities the power of self-government and can ensure a degree of harmony among residents.
The council threatened to take legal action against the owner if she did not move the fence.
Hooker initially agreed, but got into a debate with the HOA over who would be financially responsible for the fence.
The HOA decided to escalate the problem and file a complaint asking the homeowner to pay $25 a day until the fence is removed.
Hooker decided to represent himself in court, but ended up losing.
She and her family immediately moved the fence to comply with HOA rules and even hired a surveying company to make sure everything was in order.
The board was still not satisfied with the results and took Hooker back to court.
She was ordered to pay more than $22,000 in fines and more than $17,000 in legal fees.
“Devastating. Mentally, emotionally and financially,” Hooker said.
“When I heard the judge’s decision, it was just unbelievable. I immediately got up and left the courtroom.”
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
